Histologic Technician Career & Jobs: Training, Salary & Certification Requirements

Do you enjoy looking at different things under the microscope to learn more about them? Are you interested in medical conditions and the research that goes into unraveling them? If so, you might be perfectly suited for a career as a histologic technician. These trained medical professionals are the people who obtain and prepare samples of animal and human tissues for laboratory examination. They must be familiar with different methods for preparing samples of the tissue that they’re working with, such as freezing or embedding in wax. Although they don’t interact directly with patients, quality histologic technicians are vital to the medical treatment process, because they help doctors determine if certain diseases or conditions are present in the tissue. Surgeons and pathologists depend on qualified histologic technicians in order to know how to best relay the diagnoses to their patients.

Salary Outlook

Average Annual Salary
$36,800
Salary Range
$29,600 - $45,700

Work Environment

Because they are required to work with laboratory equipment and handle medical samples of animal and human tissues, histologic technicians are typically employed at medical research institutions that operate their own laboratories. It is also possible to be employed at pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and private laboratories as well.

High School Preparation

Because so much of histologic technician’s job is to work with scientific equipment and perform medical testing, it is important that interested student focus on mathematics and science while they are in high school. Subjects of importance include biology, chemistry, algebra, geometry, and physics. It is also helpful to be familiar with computers, data entry and psychology.

Requirements

Once students have completed their high school diploma, it is important that they survey the opportunities for obtaining the training they need to become a histologic technician. In some cases, local hospitals or research companies might offer their own in-house training programs for qualified candidates. However, it is also possible to enter a training program at a medical vocational college or community college. Before they are fully hired, it is important that the candidates take and pass the American Society of Clinical Pathologists’ national certification exam.

Career Outlook

As it becomes more and more apparent that there is a rapidly expanding elderly population in this country, it will be necessary for medical facilities to hire more histologic technicians to keep up with the high volume of lab work that they will require. It is expected that the increase in the number of histologic technician positions will keep pace with the national average for all occupations. It is best for aspiring histologic technicians to keep up with the latest equipment, tests, and procedures to remain competitive.

Professional Organizations

National Society for Histotechnology
4201 Northview Drive, Suite 502
Bowie, MD 20716-2604
Phone: (301) 262-6221
www.nsh.org